ABSTRACT
This is an exciting time to be working on language disorders. Several contemporary trends converge to make the prospect of a breakthrough in understanding the nature of specific language impairment (SLI) more likely then it has been in the past:
The success of the human genome project, and the possibility that with a sufficiently clear description of the phenotype, the genetic basis of language disorders, long suspected, may be clarified or even located.
The rapid progress in contemporary linguistic theory, with some real convergence on an articulated and deep description of human language.
The cross-training of clinicians and linguists who are beginning to speak the same theoretical language.
The influx of evidence beyond the usual languages, making for fertile crosslinguistic tests of hypotheses.
